


The Villainous Mao Mao

by Jaded_From_Life



Category: Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Reverse Mao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2020-09-29 16:10:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20438822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaded_From_Life/pseuds/Jaded_From_Life
Summary: A forked road always has two paths, and there's always someone who takes the other path.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work was inspired by a user in tumblr, art-in-pure-heart-valley (or Bee as she apparently likes to be called), and also I think orangelover18? Eh, whatever, they both go hand-in-hand when it comes to the Reverse Mao au. Be sure to pay them a visit and check out their other stuff!

The sink cracked under Mao Mao’s grip. 

Mao Mao didn’t pay attention to it, not even when the sides he was gripping practically breaking off. All he cared about was glaring so balefully at his reflection; more specifically, at his** green **eyes. 

Perhaps the sink could be considered lucky – the damage would’ve been worse if his black fur had been visible. 

His family were well known throughout the land as an ancient line of legendary heroes. It was basically their destiny from the moment they were born, really. Nowhere in the land will you ever not hear about songs and epics of his family from bards with varying levels of exaggeration. They will sing about how his family were the personification of heroism itself, the avatars of justice, the pinnacles of righteousness. Though the stories themselves may change, there are two things that remained constant within them that bugged Mao Mao to no end. 

Beautiful, immaculate fur black as the night sky, and so smooth and silky that it feels like a piece of heaven fell from the sky and manifested to physical form. Sharp green eyes that offer the promise of protection to the innocent while relentlessly searching for evil to smite. 

Mao Mao hates the sight of black fur and green eyes. He hates them to a near petty and irrational degree (though he will argue that it was all perfectly reasonable). 

Those two traits, at least to Mao Mao, were the markings of a “Legendary” hero. He hates those two things; he hates them because his family all had black fur and green eyes, and they were all heroes. He was not, left to dwell under their shining greatness. 

So of course, the first thing he did when he finally left to search for his own fame was to rid himself of the things that people associated with his family. He threw away his destiny of becoming a hero and instead chose the path of villainy. His sword, once a gift given to him by his father during the righteous ceremony held in honor of his sisters, had been sheathed and was practically left to collect dust (though he has yet to throw it away, a small part of him so foolishly clinging to some false hope of gaining his father’s approval), and he had replaced his weapon of choice with a battle axe nearly twice his size. He then dyed his fur to white and hid his green eyes behind purple eye contacts to basically cut off all physical ties he had with his estranged family. 

Now he roams the land, in search of ways of tainting the _oh so _perfect image his family had built for themselves. He had enslaved many hapless people, he had shown to numerous foes his villainous might and subsequently crushed them under it, and he has submerged himself with the lowest dredges of society to explore their ways. All for the sake of spitting at his family’s “heroic” legacy. 

So what if he still hears stories about his family no matter where he goes? So what if he still lies awake at night cursing his father for his miserable upbringing? So what if he hates the fact that all of his sisters are better than him in every possible way? So what if some small part of him still lingers on the thought of finally getting his father’s attention? He doesn’t care; Mao Mao the Villain doesn’t care about that all.

The ceramic bits of the sink in his hands broke further into smaller pieces under his grip, the sound of cracking finally snapping Mao Mao out of his thoughts. He stared at the crumpled bits in his hands before growling to himself and tossing them away in the nearby trash bin. He takes out his eye contacts and puts them on his eyes, blinking a bit before proceeding to walk out the bathroom door. 

Badgerclops awaited him, seated in front of a table they had claimed for themselves. When his partner noticed him, Badgerclops simply smiled at him. “What took you so long? Food’s getting cold,” he said, pointing down at the dish of grilled steak and vegetables Mao Mao had ordered. 

Mao Mao snorted before taking the seat next to Badgerclops. “Shut up and tell me where’s our next target.” 

“Well...” Badgerclops paused to chew for a bit. “I heard there’s a town a few miles from here that’s got a pretty nasty monster infestation. Adventurers had been called to deal with it, but the problem just keeps coming back,” he said in between chews. 

Mao Mao grinned at the news. “Perfect, an easily exploitable town for us. We’ll take care of the monster problem and charge them _twice_ as much as any adventurer guild would’ve!” he laughed maniacally (and loudly) at his evil plan.

Who said villainy doesn’t pay?

"Don't worry, everyone! He's just kidding, my friend's a comedian-in-training!"

** -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0- **

There are a multitude of reasons as to why Badgerclops found himself partnered up with the self-proclaimed villainous Mao Mao. A big part of that is the fact that in spite of his partner's smaller stature, he's demonstrated numerous times in the past that he's more than capable of handling any threat going his way. And so long as that huge axe wasn’t pointed at him, he's okay with not questioning the “next step to villainous infamy”. 

Though he does wonder sometimes what Mao Mao's definition of villainy is. Back when he had been part of the _Thickett __Thieves _gang, villainy used to be about stealing from lone wanderers and merchants with little protection while speaking with a cockney accent (not his best trait, really). Mao Mao's version of villainy, however, seems to be kind of... backwards. Good examples would be what “enslaving the townspeople” and “causing untold mayhem” usually meant when Mao Mao says them. 

For the former, what that meant was that they’d “make the town be indebted to them”, which actually means taking care of whatever problems that’s usually in the form of monsters or a bandit group the town was having trouble with, to which the two of them would ask (though Mao Mao usually phrases it as “demand”) for compensation. Those are almost always money, or on occasion, favours like repairing or upgrading their aerocycle, or maybe it would be sampling the local delicacies which was always Badgerclops’ favourite. 

The latter is usually the damages wrought during battles that happened within the town itself (the two really go hand-in-hand, actually). Inevitably, there’d be property damage or sometimes injuries during their battles, and Mao Mao seemed to see them as damages wrought by his own doing and making a big deal to make sure everyone knew it was him and nobody else. 

Case in point, the situation they find themselves right now. 

“Your town is in ruins!” Mao Mao proclaimed before laughing maniacally, his battle axe raised in villainous (he’d always insist on using the word, to the point of exaggeration) triumph as he stood on top of a defeated monster, a giant ant queen that apparently had made an entire nest at the nearby forest. Fire roared around him and some of the surrounding houses had giant holes on them, painting the white cat in a chaotic scene. 

"Just go along with it,” Badgerclops whispered to the town mayor, leaning closer to the man. “It’ll make things easier for the both of us.” 

Mao Mao laughed smugly, hauling the sack of cash and bits of goodies that some of the townspeople had given them to the aerocycle. “All according to plan, Badgerclops! We made out like bandits and grew my army of future slaves when I take over the land!” 

“Yeah, whatever you say, dude.” Badgerclops, on the other hand, was carrying a dozen of baked goods that he bought from the town’s bakery. 

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0- **

When Adorabat first met Mao Mao and Badgerclops, her first thought was about how cool they were, eyes widening in awe as the two battled a ferocious acid-spitting monster. 

The white cat was swift and agile with a penchant for maximum brutality, smashing and slashing with his large purple axe with ease, the likes of which Adorabat could only ever dream of witnessing, and his laughter echoing throughout the fight was a beautiful sound that sent shivers down her spine. The large badger was much tamer in comparison, preferring to support from the back and letting his partner deal the heavier blows while he blasts it with his awesome arm cannon, slowly but surely whittling down the monster's strength and softening it up for his partner. 

The two of them were _exactly _the kind of life Adorabat had been longing for, so it was no surprise that she would immediately be drawn to them. Though if she were being honest, the white cat scares her just a little. 

Especially now that she finds herself up close with said cat, and _wow he's so much taller up close it’s so cool but also __kinda __scary because he’s so tall and wow those are a lot of teeth it’s __kinda __scary but also __kinda __cool—? _

She was so entranced by the gleaming rows of teeth that she didn’t notice the large badger stepping up beside his feline partner before lightly bopping him in the head (though considering he used his robot arm, it was probably a lot more painful than it looked) 

“Quit it, dude. You're scaring the kid,” the large badger said to his partner, who hissed and glowered at him in response. 

“What're you talking about? It's my nice face," the cat argued with a snarl, as if he found the statement offensive.

The large badger held back his laughter. “Dude, what? With a smile like that and that getup of yours, you’re like halfway into a strip club.” 

“I am _not _halfway into a disgusting strip club!” the cat screeched, his mouth comically widening to match his loud voice. 

“Dude, you are literally wearing stockings and your bod’s just out for everyone to see. 

“They’re to make me aerodynamic and making me lighter on my feet!” 

“Whatever you say, dude.” 

And that’s when the Sky Pirates attacked, thus beginning her adventures with Pure Heart Valley’s newest residents. 


	2. A PureHeart experience

Mao Mao doesn’t like the Sweety-pies, not one bit. They were too cuddly and cute and squishy and most of all too... _friendly_. They would cling to him, climbing over his shoulders like disgusting _ants_, and ask if they can _hug_ him of all things. They would offer him food and gifts, all because he seemed to fascinate them, and it’s _weird_!

And the most offensive part is that they don’t seem to be scared of him at all! None of them run in fear whenever he’s around, preferring to either ignore him _(the audacity)_ or do the opposite and run up to him!

Perhaps the perfect example, an all-in-one package if you will, is the tiny bat child known simply as “Adorabat”. The little girl had immediately clung to him, seemingly not taking the hint that Mao Mao doesn’t want anything to do with her. Personally, he blames Badgerclops for being an enabler for the little girl’s persistence— his partner always finding time in the day to hang out with her.

Much like right now, in their newly acquired base of operations stationed just outside the town to discourage the happy-go-lucky townsfolk from seeking them out. Badgerclops had invited the little girl into their abode for reasons Mao Mao doesn’t really know or care about, but her presence can certainly be felt.

Mao Mao slumped down on the coach with a sigh, somehow feeling rather drained from a simple patrol around his future kingdom...

Heh, _his_ future kingdom. He can’t wait to see the looks on his father and sisters’ face once they caught wind of his deeds, they’ll be so surprised that the runt of the litter had managed to outgrow them. The thought alone made Mao Mao chuckle _evilly_.

***squeak***

Mao Mao’s ears flicked to the source of the sound. He of course was quick to recognize who made it. “Whaddaya want, kid?” he growled, glowering at the child who had taken up the space beside him.

Adorabat met his glare with a look of wonder and only a sliver of fear (which is disappointing and it bothers him so much). “Can I see your axe?”

Mao Mao quirked a brow. “And _why_ in the name of villainy would I do that?”

Adorabat's shoulders slumped in disappointment and her eyes did that thing where it looks all sad and mopey, and _Mao Mao kinda feels kinda guilty and his stomach’s doing some stupid gymnastics trick that he saw some years ago—_

“Pshhhhsssss...” Mao Mao hissed, eyes shifting away from Adorabat to stop his stomach from twisting any further. “I... _see_ you’re an admirer of mine. Of course you’d be interested in knowing more about me.” He stood up from his couch with a hop and took out his battle axe, laying it down on the table in front of him.

“Woah...” Adorabat murmured in awe, eyes widening in that childish wonder that made Mao Mao’s stomach twist a bit for reasons that eludes him. She stretches out a wing, likely to touch his axe, but he was quick to stop that.

“No.” Mao Mao lifts his axe up before giving the small girl a stern look. “If you’re gonna hang around with us, kid, then there’s some rules you need to follow. Rule number one, don’t touch my axe. Or any of my stuff, now that I think about it,” he tells her with finality.

“Awwww...” Adorabat looked rather disappointed with his declaration, but one of the core tenants of being a villain is that the only person he should be always be pleasing is himself (or people he’s planning to deviously backstab just to watch the look of utter betrayal in their faces), so Mao Mao isn’t really all that affected by the child’s disappointment.

Now acutely aware of the little girl’s curiosity, he remembered about the weapon rack in the dojo and decided to make sure it’s hidden away from her view, lest she hurt herself while touching them (he is a _villain_, he will not be responsible for child injury). As he was making his way to the dojo, the little girl fluttered alongside him.

“What’s it like being a villain?”

Mao Mao glanced at the little girl beside him before snorting. “Liberating, that’s what. When you’re a villain, the only rules you gotta follow are your own, unlike those goody two-shoes _heroes_,” he sneered at the last word.

“Really?!” Adorabat zoomed across his vision so fast that Mao Mao was forced to blink in surprise _(damaging to his reputation, an ugly familiar feeling bubbles in his chest)_. She stops in front of his face, making him halt his march lest he smack into the kid. “Does that mean villains can eat all the candy they want and sleep whenever they want?!”

Mao Mao felt rather irked at how trivial the little girl made being a villain is all about, but he decided to ignore it. “Sure, kid. That and more.”

“That’s so _coooool_!” Adorabat exclaimed, flying around his head in circles. It was at that point where Mao Mao decided that enough was enough and snatched the child out of the air, holding her by her ears. And yet still, even as he glared oh so balefully at this small child, she looked at him with eyes filled with awe and childish innocence _(it makes him sick, memories of a life he left behind long ago resurfacing)_. “How can I be a villain like you?”

It started with his lips curling up a bit, small but noticeable with his cheeks puffing up. Then, a low rumble down his throat, followed by his lips parting, revealing the rows of sharp gleaming teeth, and finally, his mouth opened.

“_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_” Mao Mao exploded with laughter. He laughed at the audacity of this small child. He laughed at the sheer stupidity and naivety that this little girl had showed him. He laughed and laughed until his throat hurt and tears came out of his eyes. The worst part, in his eyes at least, is that it was all genuine— like he just heard the funniest joke to have ever been made and he could never laugh at another one ever again because he had finally reached the zenith of comedy and could never look back again.

Eventually, the laughter ceased and his expression dialed back from _“I’m actually physically dying from laughter right now”_ to _“Oh that’s cute you think you're tough”_. Mao Mao pulled the child closer to his face, making sure she got a full view of his sharp eyes and toothy grin, eliciting a twinge of fear in the girl’s face. “You’re a hoot, kid. Tell ya what, you wanna be a villain? Show me you got what it takes, and I might consider taking you as an apprentice.”

_(That’s what villains call their students, right? Apprentices? It’s what that dark lord from that Sci-fi movie Badgerclops forced him to watch called his student, so he assumes that’s correct.)_

And suddenly, all that built-up fear on the little girl’s face vanished— replaced with the same childish wonder and innocence from earlier. “Really?!” Adorabat’s wings fluttered so abruptly that Mao Mao’s grip loosened enough for the girl to fly out and zip around his head. “Wow, this is gonna be so cool! I’m gonna be a villain!”

Mao Mao sputtered, feeling a tiny bit light-headed from trying to keep track of the hyperactive child. He shook his head, growling loudly before snatching the child out of the air again. “First lesson, kid, villains aren’t this noisy and _happy_.” He paused for a bit in thought. “Unless you won at something and wanna gloat about it in other people’s faces, preferably your enemies.”

Adorabat made a noise that sounded somewhere between a gasp and a squeak. “This is so _cooooool_! My first villain lesson!” she whispered with joy that just oozes from her voice that it might make the cat physically ill.

Mao Mao lets her go and continues to make her way to the dojo with Adorabat in tow. He pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation as his ears flick constantly to the sound of flapping wings.

“Hey, Mao Mao? What’s a villain?”

Mao Mao can feel himself physically age from the headache he’s experiencing right now.

When Badgerclops got home (that bakery was probably gonna be set for life with how much money he spent in there), he arrived to the scene of Mao Mao having a very animated discussion with Adorabat about being a villain. He smiled rather fondly at that, if only because of how much he missed seeing his partner _this_ excited about something.

It might be worth staying here for a good long while after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that new episode huh? Mao Mao naked huh?
> 
> I have no words.


End file.
